Drugs, guns, live grenade seized during raids

Poway, CA_9/10/2013_During a press conference at the Poway Sheriff's substation, members of local and federal law enforcement displayed weapons, drugs and money confiscated or bought during a year long operation known as Mountain Shadow in Poway and Ramona. $2.1 million worth of heroin, amphetamines, cocaine and marijuana as well as 76 firearms and one live grenade were recovered.John Gastaldo/U-T San Diego/mandatory credit:JOHN GASTALDO/UT SAN DIEGO/ZUMA PRESS
— John Gastaldo

Poway, CA_9/10/2013_During a press conference at the Poway Sheriff's substation, members of local and federal law enforcement displayed weapons, drugs and money confiscated or bought during a year long operation known as Mountain Shadow in Poway and Ramona. $2.1 million worth of heroin, amphetamines, cocaine and marijuana as well as 76 firearms and one live grenade were recovered.John Gastaldo/U-T San Diego/mandatory credit:JOHN GASTALDO/UT SAN DIEGO/ZUMA PRESS
— John Gastaldo

POWAY  A yearlong undercover drug operation wrapped up Tuesday morning with authorities seizing $2.1 million in drugs, 75 firearms and a live grenade during raids in Ramona and Poway.

Federal and local authorities served 12 search warrants and arrested 65 people during what was dubbed “Operation Mountain Shadow,” according to the Sheriff’s Department.

During the operation, undercover deputies and agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration bought street drugs and guns from the suspects, authorities said.

Drugs seized during the length of the operation included 93 pounds of methamphetamine, 56 pounds of cocaine and 14 pounds of heroin.

Authorities said they also recovered $230,000 in cash.

Poway Sheriff’s Capt. Bill Donahue said roughly 80 percent of the arrests were made in the Ramona area.

The operation was launched in October in response to a number of complaints from residents. About a dozen undercover deputies and DEA agents “targeted primarily street-level dealers” by buying drugs from them and then storing the evidence until arrest and search warrants were obtained and executed Tuesday morning, Donahue said.

About 150 deputies and federal agents took part in the raids, which ran from about 6 a.m. until noon. Nine search warrants were executed in the Ramona area and three in Poway.

The names of those arrested will be released in a day or two, he said. More arrests are anticipated. Prosecutions will be carried out both in state and federal court.

“These aren’t low-level drug dealers,” District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said at a news conference held in the Poway Sheriff’s Station. “These are people with long criminal histories including violent crimes.”

Dumanis said her office will prosecute 24 separate cases involving 33 defendants for conspiracy to sell heroin, meth, cocaine, ecstasy and guns. Dumanis said the arrests should send a message to drug dealers.

“We will track you down and we will take your drug operations down link by link. As a result of this drug operation, two communities are safer and who knows how many lives have been saved?” she said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Wong said grand jury indictments charging 12 county residents with federal crimes were unsealed Tuesday. Ten named in the indictments were taken into custody Tuesday and two are outstanding, he said.

Two of the defendants entered not guilty pleas in court Tuesday afternoon. The 12 charged with federal drug crimes range in age from 33 to 68. Some could face life prison sentences if convicted.

Charges against 20 other people taken into custody during the raids Tuesday are pending.

Donahue said the name of the operation derived from the mountains in the area and because “of the hiding in the shadows we had to do to catch the bad guys selling drugs.”

Most of those arrested in Poway were young, Donahue added. The Ramona suspects, he said, were older, more experienced and many had long criminal histories.

The live grenade was found during a search of a Ramona residence, he said.